Cu Chi Tunnel (Ben Dinh Underground Tunnel Complex)

Last year I was denied the opportunity to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel, 

this year (2014), was different..

our ride

I was given only two days to stay in Vietnam, thanks to the changes in my flight. It was a 12-day tour, and the last country was Vietnam, more specifically in Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival at the airport, I immediately checked-in at my hotel (M & M Hotel) and went to a travel agency and booked my Cu Chi Tunnel Tour. I paid only 125,000 Dong for the tour at Phuong Nam Travel Agency.

The following morning, I was fetched from my hotel and we proceeded to Cu Chi. The mini-bus was filled by foreigners who were very anxious to see and experience the tour.

the factory

It was a 1.5 hours trip to the Cu Chi Tunnel but before reaching the spot, we stopped at a factory which employs disabled Vietnamese and did a little bit of sight-seeing and souvenir shopping.

After staying for 45 minutes, we traveled for another 45 minutes and finally reached our destination. Along the way, our tour guide, Mickey, was explaining the significance and some historical facts about the Cu Chi Tunnel. 

We paid another 90,000 Dong for the entrance fee and  we stayed at one of the military bunkhouses to watch a documentary presentation about the Cu Chi Tunnel. Afterwards, we began to tour the tunnels.

Mickey, our tour guide, explaining the significance of ventilation system

The tunnels of Cu Chi was the holy revolutionary base of Military Region Committee Saigon-Gia Dinh High Command of Cu Chi District Party Committee and all Cu Chi people. 

The present underground relic is preserved in 2 areas of Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh, approximately over 70 kilometers from HCMC in the North-West. 

Part of the tour was an American tank corpse situated in the tunnels of Cu Chi where tourists can take a souvenir shot.

There are plenty of things to do while you are the Cu Chi Tunnel, such as shooting using either an AK47 or machine gun, dine at the Ben Duoc or Ben Dinh restaurant, shooting with paint bullet,  kayaking and swimming. The fee for the target shooting is based on the number of bullets and the price depends on the gun that you will use.

Exit 4 only

And the most awaited, the Cu Chi Tunnel attraction itself! 

The tour has 5 levels and it gets narrower on each level. The narrowest and the most taxing is the 5th level. Honestly, I was not mentally and physically prepared for the challenge and I exited at level 4 (exit 4). But I promised myself  that I will finish it the next time I visit the Cu Chi Tunnel.

Hooray for my adventure at Cu Chi Tunnel!

Revisiting My 2013 International Travels

I make it a point twice every year to travel abroad. 

I usually travel March and October during the semestral breaks of my students. Blogging is not my full time job and I have to do my other passion and my full-time job in life which is teaching.

Last year, I visited Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. But there are places which left memories that linger in a traveler's mind. And here are some of those places that make me smile.

Patong Beach

Phuket, Thailand comes very close to my heart with all the majestic scenery, world-class beaches and unparalleled adventures only Phuket could offer. This November 2014 I decided to go back anew just to rekindle the memories I experienced in Phuket.

Malaysia offers a variety of tourist spots but Genting Highlands tops my places to visit. I love the cable car ride going to the spot and once you are there you will surely enjoy the different attractions offered by the Highlands.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam is a must-to-see spot if you are traveling in South East Asia. Known for offering the cheapest shopping goods only Vietnam can offer.  It has its own unique ride called "Tuktuk" which tourists must try and a variety of river adventures that await foreigners.

Angkot Wat

Siem Reap, Cambodia opens your eyes to ancient majestic temples such as Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bahket Mountain. Considered as one of the best tourist spots in South East Asia, the early morning sunrise view of Angkor Wat will surely captivate your passion to travel in this ancient city.

And finally, the South East Asian tour will not be complete without going to Singapore! The Marina Bay, Clarke Quay, Merlion, and Universal Studio Singapore (USS) are some of the best spots to visit while you are in Singapore. Enjoy the river cruise in Marina Bay and the world-class adventures in Sentosa!

   

Two Days in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Dinner River Cruise in Ho Chi Minh

It was a 13-day tour and I was just on the 7th day of my tour. From Yangon, Myanmar, I boarded a plane and landed in Ho Chi Minh City. From the Ho Chi Min International Airport, I took  a cab, went to my hotel and paid 200,000 VND for the ride. The taxi was not that expensive. Exchange rate is 100,000 VND equals 250 Philippine Peso. The ride to the hotel was good for 25 minutes.

A bit exhausted and without much sleep (I had a connecting flight from Yangon-Singapore / Singapore-Ho Chi Minh and the waiting time at the Changi Airport was 8 hours), I arrived at the M&M Hotel and immediately went to the front desk. I needed to take a respite.

The staff of the hotel was very accommodating and courteous. In fact, I even had a souvenir photo with one of their staff named "Thanh." I think she was the prettiest face I saw in Ho Chi Min City. She was one of the reasons (or probably, the best reason) why I enjoyed my stay in Ho Chi Minh.  

Honestly, I was not able to sleep. I just rested my back for an hour and decided to do a little bit of souvenir shopping. Having browsed google, I knew were to go. And the cheapest mode of transportation in Vietnam is by having a motorcycle ride (I learned later on that I was 15 minutes away from my destination). Fare using the TukTuk is between 20,000-30,000 VND. Later that evening, I decided to walk instead going back to the hotel.

While onboard my ride in the city, I noticed that Ho Chi Minh is the motorcycle capital in the world. I mean almost everybody was using motorcycle as a mode of their transportation. They were like ants running around the city!

 Finally, I reached my destination for that day - Le Lai Street. The site is between New World Hotel and Ben Tanh Market. It is the place where you can buy signature bags such as Northface, Kipiling, Samsonite and a whole lot more. But the idea that day was to buy as many Northface bags and accessories as possible. If you intend to buy watches, you can go to Binh Tay Market at Cho Lan. For jewelry, in Saigon Tax Center and for handbags and wallet, in Saigon Square or Binh Tay Market. You can also buy these things at the Ben Tanh Market near Le Lai Street. The price of Nortface usually starts from 150,000-200,000 VND. The first price mentioned by the saleslady is not the correct price and you can ask for a much lower price or a 30-50% discount.

And first day in Vietnam, I spent 2.4 Million VND just for Northface and Kipling bags! And it felt great and I loved it!

  
While you are in Ho Chi Minh, you will encounter small stalls where they sell cold and hot beverages for a cheap price. It's quite hot in Vietnam and you need to hydrate! Cold drinks is priced from 10,000 VND - 20,000 VND.

And in case you want to eat, eating rice is not that popular in Vietnam. Instead, they have "Pho Bo" or ramens in beef, chicken or pork. The price varies from 25,000 - 35,000 VND  and they usually serve the cold tea for free. Later that day, I went to a travel agency and booked my land trip to Siem Reap (462,000 VND), my Dinner River Cruise (38 USD) and Mekong Delta River Tour (it comes in two sets, Set A and Set B, I chose B [420,000 VND]).

Later that evening, I decided to have the River Dinner Cruise. I paid 38 USD for this.  And it was worth it. The cruise is beside the Riverside Hotel. You can ask the cab driver to take you there for 30,000 VND. During day time, they also have boat rentals which are chartered from 400,000 VND - 1,500,000 VND depending on the size of the boat per hour. There is an extra fee for the succeeding hours. On the other hand, the Dinner River Cruise starts around 7 pm and ends 9:30 pm.

You will be served a variety of dishes while you are onboard or you can even ask for seafood dishes. After the river cruise, I went back to the hotel and had my massage.

DAY 2 - Mekong Delta River Tour

The following morning, the travel agency picked me up from the hotel 7:45 am sharp. And we boarded the mini-bus and went to Mekong Delta River. After almost 2 hours, we reached the Mekong Rest Stop.  

Some of my co-passengers took their meal on this stop. The place is wonderful!

After 30 minutes, we drove-off to our destination and reached the port.

The boat can accommodate up to 30 passengers  but we were only less than 20 passengers that day.

There are so many tours available in Vietnam and they vary. You have to choose for your own. But the river cruise and boats are my favorite and I love to shoot pictures of them. And the agency provided an English speaking guide while you are onboard the boat.

First stop of the tour was the candy factory. The workers in the factory will show the tourists how they make coconut candy and a variety of candies. By the way, they have the snake attraction here where you can pose with the big snake.

Second stop was the Honey factory and they will serve you honey tea and light snacks.

It was already past 12 pm when we finished going to the two factories and were brought to our lunch stop. After lunch, you can go biking in the village or listen to the cultural show that is provided by the establishment.

I opted to have the biking and went around the village for one hour. Some of the tourists also opted to roam around and take pictures of the scenic spots.

Life in the village is simple. I missed Philippines when I was at the village, it reminded me of my country.

Last part of the tour was the small boat tour which lasted for 30 minutes. It is a cruise in the small river going back to the big river.

And after the small boat tour, we boarded the bus and went back to Ho Chi Minh. It took us almost 3 hours before we reached the city. But the fun and adventure did not stop there, I decided to go to the Night Market. 

I suggest you do your shopping at the night market. It is a lot lower and cheaper. By the way, the night market is also situated in Le Lai Street. You can choose from a variety of sizes and designs of Kipling and Northface bags.

Two days in Ho Chi Minh and I spent 5 Million VND and it was really worth it! I have to go back to Vietnam in 2015! And my mind is already made up! Hello back Vietnam!! =)